Networked three-dimensional printing

ABSTRACT

Three-dimensional fabrication resources are improved by adding networking capabilities to three-dimensional printers and providing a variety of tools for networked use of three-dimensional printers. Web-based servers or the like can provide a single point of access for remote users to manage access to distributed content on one hand, and to manage use of distributed fabrication resources on the other.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/314,337 filed Dec. 8, 2011, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/858,622, filed on Aug. 18, 2010, theentire content of each of these applications is hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to three-dimensional fabrication using networkedresources.

A variety of three-dimensional fabrication techniques have been devisedto support rapid prototyping from computer models. These techniques havebeen refined over the years to increase accuracy, working volume, andthe variety of build materials available in a rapid prototypingenvironment. While these increasingly sophisticated and expensivemachines appear regularly in commercial design and engineering settings,a more recent trend has emerged toward low-cost three-dimensionalprototyping devices suitable for hobbyists and home users. As theseresources become more readily and widely available, a need has emergedfor networking capabilities and network management for three-dimensionalprinters.

SUMMARY

Three-dimensional fabrication resources are improved by addingnetworking capabilities to three-dimensional printers and providing avariety of tools for networked use of three-dimensional printers.Web-based servers or the like can provide a single point of access forremote users to manage access to distributed content on one hand, and tomanage use of distributed fabrication resources on the other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following description of particularembodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Thedrawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placedupon illustrating the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a three-dimensional printer.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a conveyer for an automated buildprocess.

FIG. 3 depicts a networked three-dimensional printing environment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for using a three-dimensional printer,such as any of the three-dimensional printers described above, whencoupled to a data network.

FIG. 5 depicts a user interface for management of networked printing.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for operating a three-dimensionalprinter coupled to a network.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for operating a three-dimensionalprinter coupled to a network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Described herein are devices and methods for using networkedthree-dimensional printers. It will be understood that while theexemplary embodiments below emphasize fabrication techniques usingextrusion, the principles of the invention may be adapted to a widevariety of three-dimensional fabrication processes, and in particularadditive fabrication processes including without limitation selectivelaser sintering, fused deposition modeling, three-dimensional printing,and the like. All such variations that can be adapted to use with anetworked fabrication resource as described herein are intended to fallwithin the scope of this disclosure. It should also be understood thatany reference herein to a fabrication process such as printing orthree-dimensional printing is intended to refer to any and all suchadditive fabrication process unless a different meaning is explicitlystated or otherwise clear from the context. Thus by way of example andnot of limitation, a three-dimensional printer (or simply “printer”) isnow described that may be used in a networked three-dimensional printingenvironment.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a three-dimensional printer. In general,the printer 100 may include a build platform 102, a conveyor 104, anextruder 106, an x-y-z positioning assembly 108, and a controller 110that cooperate to fabricate an object 112 within a working volume 114 ofthe printer 100.

The build platform 102 may include a surface 116 that is rigid andsubstantially planar. The surface 116 may support the conveyer 104 inorder to provide a fixed, dimensionally and positionally stable platformon which to build the object 112.

The build platform 102 may include a thermal element 130 that controlsthe temperature of the build platform 102 through one or more activedevices 132 such as resistive elements that convert electrical currentinto heat, Peltier effect devices that can create a heating or coolingeffect, or any other thermoelectric heating and/or cooling devices. Thusthe thermal element 130 may be a heating element that provides activeheating to the build platform 102, a cooling element that providesactive cooling to the build platform 102, or a combination of these. Theheating element 130 may be coupled in a communicating relationship withthe controller 110 in order for the controller 110 to controllablyimpart heat to or remove heat from the surface 116 of the build platform102. Thus the thermal element 130 may include an active cooling elementpositioned within or adjacent to the build platform 102 to controllablycool the build platform 102.

It will be understood that a variety of other techniques may be employedto control a temperature of the build platform 102. For example, thebuild platform 102 may use a gas cooling or gas heating device such as avacuum chamber or the like in an interior thereof, which may be quicklypressurized to heat the build platform 102 or vacated to cool the buildplatform 102 as desired. As another example, a stream of heated orcooled gas may be applied directly to the build platform 102 before,during, and/or after a build process. Any device or combination ofdevices suitable for controlling a temperature of the build platform 102may be adapted to use as the thermal element 130 described herein.

The conveyer 104 may be formed of a sheet 118 of material that moves ina path 120 through the working volume 114. Within the working volume114, the path 120 may pass proximal to the surface 116 of the buildplatform 102—that is, resting directly on or otherwise supported by thesurface 116—in order to provide a rigid, positionally stable workingsurface for a build. It will be understood that while the path 120 isdepicted as a unidirectional arrow, the path 120 may be bidirectional,such that the conveyer 104 can move in either of two opposing directionsthrough the working volume 114. It will also be understood that the path120 may curve in any of a variety of ways, such as by looping underneathand around the build platform 102, over and/or under rollers, or arounddelivery and take up spools for the sheet 118 of material. Thus, whilethe path 120 may be generally (but not necessarily) uniform through theworking volume 114, the conveyer 104 may move in any direction suitablefor moving completed items from the working volume 114. The conveyor mayinclude a motor or other similar drive mechanism (not shown) coupled tothe controller 110 to control movement of the sheet 118 of materialalong the path 120. Various drive mechanisms are shown and described infurther detail below.

In general, the sheet 118 may be formed of a flexible material such as amesh material, a polyamide, a polyethylene terephthalate (commerciallyavailable in bi-axial form as MYLAR), a polyimide film (commerciallyavailable as KAPTON), or any other suitably strong polymer or othermaterial. The sheet 118 may have a thickness of about three to seventhousandths of an inch, or any other thickness that permits the sheet118 to follow the path 120 of the conveyer 104. For example, withsufficiently strong material, the sheet 118 may have a thickness of oneto three thousandths of an inch. The sheet 118 may instead be formed ofsections of rigid material joined by flexible links.

A working surface of the sheet 118 (e.g., an area on the top surface ofthe sheet 118 within the working volume 114) may be treated in a varietyof manners to assist with adhesion of build material to the surface 118and/or removal of completed objects from the surface 118. For example,the working surface may be abraded or otherwise textured (e.g., withgrooves, protrusions, and the like) to improve adhesion between theworking surface and the build material.

A variety of chemical treatments may be used on the working surface ofthe sheet 118 of material to further facilitate build processes asdescribed herein. For example, the chemical treatment may include adeposition of material that can be chemically removed from the conveyer104 by use of water, solvents, or the like. This may facilitateseparation of a completed object from the conveyer by dissolving thelayer of chemical treatment between the object 112 and the conveyor 104.The chemical treatments may include deposition of a material that easilyseparates from the conveyer such as a wax, mild adhesive, or the like.The chemical treatment may include a detachable surface such as anadhesive that is sprayed on to the conveyer 104 prior to fabrication ofthe object 112.

In one aspect, the conveyer 104 may be formed of a sheet of disposable,one-use material that is fed from a dispenser and consumed with eachsuccessive build.

In one aspect, the conveyer 104 may include a number of differentworking areas with different surface treatments adapted for differentbuild materials or processes. For example, different areas may havedifferent textures (smooth, abraded, grooved, etc.). Different areas maybe formed of different materials. Different areas may also have orreceive different chemical treatments. Thus a single conveyer 104 may beused in a variety of different build processes by selecting the variousworking areas as needed or desired.

The extruder 106 may include a chamber 122 in an interior thereof toreceive a build material. The build material may, for example, includeacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), high-density polyethylene(“HDPL”), polylactic acid, or any other suitable plastic, thermoplastic,or other material that can usefully be extruded to form athree-dimensional object. The extruder 106 may include an extrusion tip124 or other opening that includes an exit port with a circular, oval,slotted or other cross-sectional profile that extrudes build material ina desired cross-sectional shape.

The extruder 106 may include a heater 126 to melt thermoplastic or othermeltable build materials within the chamber 122 for extrusion through anextrusion tip 124 in liquid form. While illustrated in block form, itwill be understood that the heater 124 may include, e.g., coils ofresistive wire wrapped about the extruder 106, one or more heatingblocks with resistive elements to heat the extruder 106 with appliedcurrent, an inductive heater, or any other arrangement of heatingelements suitable for creating heat within the chamber 122 to melt thebuild material for extrusion. The extruder 106 may also or insteadinclude a motor 128 or the like to push the build material into thechamber 122 and/or through the extrusion tip 126.

In general operation (and by way of example rather than limitation), abuild material such as ABS plastic in filament form may be fed into thechamber 122 from a spool or the like by the motor 128, melted by theheater 126, and extruded from the extrusion tip 124. By controlling arate of the motor 128, the temperature of the heater 126, and/or otherprocess parameters, the build material may be extruded at a controlledvolumetric rate. It will be understood that a variety of techniques mayalso or instead be employed to deliver build material at a controlledvolumetric rate, which may depend upon the type of build material, thevolumetric rate desired, and any other factors. All such techniques thatmight be suitably adapted to delivery of build material for fabricationof a three-dimensional object are intended to fall within the scope ofthis disclosure. As noted above, other techniques may be employed forthree-dimensional printing, including extrusion-based techniques using abuild material that is curable and/or a build material of sufficientviscosity to retain shape after extrusion.

The x-y-z positioning assembly 108 may generally be adapted tothree-dimensionally position the extruder 106 and the extrusion tip 124within the working volume 114. Thus by controlling the volumetric rateof delivery for the build material and the x, y, z position of theextrusion tip 124, the object 112 may be fabricated in three dimensionsby depositing successive layers of material in two-dimensional patternsderived, for example, from cross-sections of a computer model or othercomputerized representation of the object 112. A variety of arrangementsand techniques are known in the art to achieve controlled linearmovement along one or more axes. The x-y-z positioning assembly 108 may,for example, include a number of stepper motors 109 to independentlycontrol a position of the extruder within the working volume along eachof an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. More generally, the x-y-zpositioning assembly 108 may include without limitation variouscombinations of stepper motors, encoded DC motors, gears, belts,pulleys, worm gears, threads, and so forth. Any such arrangementsuitable for controllably positioning the extruder 106 within theworking volume 114 may be adapted to use with the printer 100 describedherein.

By way of example and not limitation, the conveyor 104 may be affixed toa bed that provides x-y positioning within the plane of the conveyor104, while the extruder 106 can be independently moved along a z-axis.As another example, the extruder 106 may be stationary while theconveyor 104 is x, y, and z positionable. As another example, theextruder 106 may be x, y, and z positionable while the conveyer 104remains fixed (relative to the working volume 114). In yet anotherexample, the conveyer 104 may, by movement of the sheet 118 of material,control movement in one axis (e.g., the y-axis), while the extruder 106moves in the z-axis as well as one axis in the plane of the sheet 118.Thus in one aspect, the conveyor 104 may be attached to and move with atleast one of an x-axis stage (that controls movement along the x-axis),a y-axis stage (that controls movement along a y-axis), and a z-axisstage (that controls movement along a z-axis) of the x-y-z positioningassembly 108. More generally, any arrangement of motors and otherhardware controllable by the controller 110 may serve as the x-y-zpositioning assembly 108 in the printer 100 described herein. Still moregenerally, while an x, y, z coordinate system serves as a convenientbasis for positioning within three dimensions, any other coordinatesystem or combination of coordinate systems may also or instead beemployed, such as a positional controller and assembly that operatesaccording to cylindrical or spherical coordinates.

The controller 110 may be electrically coupled in a communicatingrelationship with the build platform 102, the conveyer 104, the x-y-zpositioning assembly 108, and the other various components of theprinter 100. In general, the controller 110 is operable to control thecomponents of the printer 100, such as the build platform 102, theconveyer 104, the x-y-z positioning assembly 108, and any othercomponents of the printer 100 described herein to fabricate the object112 from the build material. The controller 110 may include anycombination of software and/or processing circuitry suitable forcontrolling the various components of the printer 100 described hereinincluding without limitation microprocessors, microcontrollers,application-specific integrated circuits, programmable gate arrays, andany other digital and/or analog components, as well as combinations ofthe foregoing, along with inputs and outputs for transceiving controlsignals, drive signals, power signals, sensor signals, and so forth. Inone aspect, the controller 110 may include a microprocessor or otherprocessing circuitry with sufficient computational power to providerelated functions such as executing an operating system, providing agraphical user interface (e.g., to a display coupled to the controller110 or printer 100), convert three-dimensional models into toolinstructions, and operate a web server or otherwise host remote usersand/or activity through the network interface 136 described below.

A variety of additional sensors may be usefully incorporated into theprinter 100 described above. These are generically depicted as sensor134 in FIG. 1, for which the positioning and mechanical/electricalinterconnections with other elements of the printer 100 will depend uponthe type and purpose of the sensor 134 and will be readily understoodand appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. The sensor 134 mayinclude a temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of thesurface of the build platform 102. This may, for example, include athermistor or the like embedded within or attached below the surface ofthe build platform 102. This may also or instead include an infrareddetector or the like directed at the surface 116 of the build platform102 or the sheet 118 of material of the conveyer 104. Other sensors thatmay be usefully incorporated into the printer 100 as the sensor 134include a heat sensor, a volume flow rate sensor, a weight sensor, asound sensor, and a light sensor. Certain more specific examples areprovided below by way of example and not of limitation.

The sensor 134 may include a sensor to detect a presence (or absence) ofthe object 112 at a predetermined location on the conveyer 104. This mayinclude an optical detector arranged in a beam-breaking configuration tosense the presence of the object 112 at a location such as an end of theconveyer 104. This may also or instead include an imaging device andimage processing circuitry to capture an image of the working volume 114and analyze the image to evaluate a position of the object 112. Thissensor 134 may be used for example to ensure that the object 112 isremoved from the conveyor 104 prior to beginning a new build at thatlocation on the working surface such as the surface 116 of the buildplatform 102. Thus the sensor 134 may be used to determine whether anobject is present that should not be, or to detect when an object isabsent. The feedback from this sensor 134 may be used by the controller110 to issue processing interrupts or otherwise control operation of theprinter 100.

The sensor 134 may include a sensor that detects a position of theconveyer 104 along the path. This information may be obtained from anencoder in a motor that drives the conveyer 104, or using any othersuitable technique such as a visual sensor and corresponding fiducials(e.g., visible patterns, holes, or areas with opaque, specular,transparent, or otherwise detectable marking) on the sheet 118.

The sensor 134 may include a heater (instead of or in addition to thethermal element 130) to heat the working volume 114 such as a radiantheater or forced hot air to maintain the object 112 at a fixed, elevatedtemperature throughout a build. The sensor 134 may also or insteadinclude a cooling element to maintain the object 112 at a predeterminedsub-ambient temperature throughout a build.

The sensor 134 may also or instead include at least one video camera.The video camera may generally capture images of the working volume 114,the object 112, or any other hardware associated with the printer 100.The video camera may provide a remote video feed through the networkinterface 136, which feed may be available to remote users through auser interface maintained by, e.g., remote hardware such as the printservers described below with reference to FIG. 3, or within a web pageprovided by a web server hosted by the three-dimensional printer 100.Thus in one aspect there is disclosed herein a user interface adapted topresent a video feed from at least one video camera of athree-dimensional printer to a remote user through a user interface.

The sensor 134 may include may also include more complex sensing andprocessing systems or subsystems, such as a three-dimensional scannerusing optical techniques (e.g., stereoscopic imaging, or shape frommotion imaging), structured light techniques, or any other suitablesensing and processing hardware that might extract three-dimensionalinformation from the working volume 114. In another aspect, the sensor134 may include a machine vision system that captures images andanalyzes image content to obtain information about the status of a job,working volume 114, or an object 112 therein. The machine vision systemmay support a variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, processcontrol, and/or robotic guidance functions for the three-dimensionalprinter 100 including without limitation pass/fail decisions, errordetection (and corresponding audible or visual alerts), shape detection,position detection, orientation detection, collision avoidance, and soforth.

Other components, generically depicted as other hardware 135, may alsobe included, such as input devices including a keyboard, touchpad,mouse, switches, dials, buttons, motion sensors, and the like, as wellas output devices such as a display, a speaker or other audiotransducer, light emitting diodes, and so forth. Other hardware 135 mayalso or instead include a variety of cable connections and/or hardwareadapters for connecting to, e.g., external computers, external hardware,external instrumentation or data acquisition systems, and so forth.

The printer 100 may include, or be connected in a communicatingrelationship with, a network interface 136. The network interface 136may include any combination of hardware and software suitable forcoupling the controller 110 and other components of the printer 100 to aremote computer in a communicating relationship through a data network.By way of example and not limitation, this may include electronics for awired or wireless Ethernet connection operating according to the IEEE802.11 standard (or any variation thereof), or any other short or longrange wireless networking components or the like. This may includehardware for short range data communications such as BlueTooth or aninfrared transceiver, which may be used to couple into a local areanetwork or the like that is in turn coupled to a data network such asthe Internet. This may also or instead include hardware/software for aWiMax connection or a cellular network connection (using, e.g., CDMA,GSM, LTE, or any other suitable protocol or combination of protocols).Consistently, the controller 110 may be configured to controlparticipation by the printer 100 in any network to which the networkinterface 136 is connected, such as by autonomously connecting to thenetwork to retrieve printable content, or responding to a remote requestfor status or availability. Networked uses of the printer 100 arediscussed in greater detail below.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a conveyer for an automated buildprocess. The conveyer 200 may include a sheet 202 of material thatprovides a working surface 204 for three-dimensional fabrication. Asdepicted, the conveyer may form a continuous path 206 about a buildplatform 208 by arranging the sheet 202 as a belt or the like. Thus forexample, the path 206 may move parallel to the surface of the buildplatform 208 along the top of the build platform 208 (from left to rightin FIG. 2). The sheet 202 may then curve downward and around a roller210 and reverse direction underneath the build platform 208, returningagain at an opposing roller 212 to form a loop about the build platform208.

The roller 210 may be coupled by gears 214 or the like to a motor (notshown) to move the sheet 202 of material. The motor may be controlled bya controller (such as the controller 110 described above) to controlmovement of the sheet 202 of material in a build process.

The conveyer 200 may include a scraper 216 to physically separate acompleted object from the conveyer 200 based upon a relative movement ofthe sheet 202 of material of the conveyor 200 to the scraper 216. Ingeneral, adhesion of an object to a working surface maintains the objectwithin the coordinate system of the printer during a build in order tofacilitate the build process. Where good adhesion is achieved during abuild, dislodging the completed object from the working surface mayrequire significant force. Thus in order to ensure the availability of acontinuous working surface, the conveyer 200 may enforce physicalseparation of the object from the working surface by passing the sheet202 of material by the scraper 216 to dislodge the object. While thescraper 216 is depicted below the working surface of the sheet 202, itwill be readily understood that a variety of positions and orientationsof the scraper 216 may achieve similar results. Thus for example, thescraper 216 may extend vertically above or below the sheet 202,horizontally from the sheet 202, or in any other suitable orientation.It will also be appreciated that while the scraper 216 is depicted in anorientation perpendicular to the path 206, the scraper 216 may be angledin order to also urge a completed object off the sheet 202 in anydesired direction, such as to a side of the working surface where achute or receptacle may be provided to catch and store the completedobject. In some embodiments, the conveyor 200 may transport the objectto a side of the printer 100, or alternatively the entire conveyor 200assembly may be moved outside the printer, so that urging the completedobject off the sheet 202 also causes the competed object to depart theprinter 100. The term ‘scraper’ should be understood as referring in anon-limiting sense to any physical fixture that might be employed toremove an object from the sheet 202, and that many other shapes, sizes,orientations, and the like may also or instead be employed as thescraper 216 described herein without departing from the scope of thisdisclosure.

In one aspect, the conveyer 200 may support networked use of the printer100 by permitting fabrication of multiple, consecutive parts undercontrol by a remote computer without user intervention.

FIG. 3 depicts a networked three-dimensional printing environment. Ingeneral, the environment 300 may include a data network 302interconnecting a plurality of participating devices in a communicatingrelationship. The participating devices may, for example, include anynumber of three-dimensional printers 304 (also referred tointerchangeably herein as “printers”), client devices 306, print servers308, content sources 310, mobile devices 314, and other resources 316.

The data network 302 may be any network(s) or internetwork(s) suitablefor communicating data and control information among participants in theenvironment 300. This may include public networks such as the Internet,private networks, telecommunications networks such as the PublicSwitched Telephone Network or cellular networks using third generation(e.g., 3G or IMT-2000), fourth generation (e.g., LTE (E-UTRA) orWiMax-Advanced (IEEE 802.16m), as well as any of a variety of corporatearea or local area networks and other switches, routers, hubs, gateways,and the like that might be used to carry data among participants in theenvironment 300.

The three-dimensional printers 304 may be any computer-controlleddevices for three-dimensional fabrication, including without limitationany of the three-dimensional printers or other fabrication orprototyping devices described above. In general, each such device mayinclude a network interface comprising, e.g., a network interface card,which term is used broadly herein to include any hardware (along withsoftware, firmware, or the like to control operation of same) suitablefor establishing and maintaining wired and/or wireless communications.The network interface card may include without limitation wired Ethernetnetwork interface cards (“NICs”), wireless 802.11 networking cards,wireless 802.11 USB devices, or other hardware for wireless local areanetworking The network interface may also or instead include cellularnetwork hardware, wide area wireless network hardware or any otherhardware for centralized, ad hoc, peer-to-peer, or other radiocommunications that might be used to carry data. In another aspect, thenetwork interface may include a serial or USB port used to directlyconnect to a computing device such as a desktop computer that, in turn,provides more general network connectivity to the data network 302.

Client devices 306 may in general be devices within the environment 300operated by users to initiate and monitor print jobs at thethree-dimensional printers 304. This may include desktop computers,laptop computers, network computers, tablets, or any other computingdevice that can participate in the environment 300 as contemplatedherein. Each client device 306 generally provides a user interface,which may include a graphical user interface and/or text or command lineinterface to control operation of remote three-dimensional printers 304.The user interface may be maintained by a locally executing applicationon one of the client devices 306 that receives data and statusinformation from, e.g., the printers 304 and print servers 308concerning pending or executing print jobs, and creates a suitabledisplay on the client device 306 for user interaction. In otherembodiments, the user interface may be remotely served and presented onone of the client devices 306, such as where a print server 308 or oneof the three-dimensional printers 304 includes a web server thatprovides information through one or more web pages or the like that canbe displayed within a web browser or similar client executing on one ofthe client devices 306.

The print servers 308 may include data storage, a network interface, anda processor or other processing circuitry. In the following description,where the functions or configuration of a print server 308 aredescribed, this is intended to included corresponding functions orconfiguration (e.g., by programming) of a processor of the print server308. In general, the print servers 308 (or processors thereof) mayperform a variety of processing tasks related to management of networkedprinting. For example, the print servers 308 may manage print jobsreceived from one or more of the client devices 306, and provide relatedsupporting functions such as content search and management. A printserver 308 may also include a web server that provides web-based accessby the client devices 306 to the capabilities of the print server 308. Aprint server 308 may also communicate periodically withthree-dimensional printers 304 in order to obtain status informationconcerning, e.g., availability of printers and/or the status ofparticular print jobs, any of which may be subsequently presented to auser through the web server. A print server 308 may also maintain a listof available three-dimensional printers 304, and may automaticallyselect one of the three-dimensional printers 304 for a user-submittedprint job, or may permit a user to specify a single printer, or a groupof preferred printers, for fabricating an object. Where the print server308 selects the printer automatically, any number of criteria may beused such as geographical proximity, printing capabilities, currentprint queue, fees (if any) for use of a particular three-dimensionalprinter 304, and so forth. Where the user specifies criteria, this maysimilarly include any relevant aspects of three-dimensional printers304, and may permit use of absolute criteria (e.g., filters) orpreferences, which may be weighted preferences or unweightedpreferences, any of which may be used by a print server 308 to allocatea print job to a suitable resource.

Other user preferences may be usefully stored at the print server 308 tofacilitate autonomous, unsupervised fabrication of content from contentsources 310. For example, a print server 308 may store a user'spreference on handling objects greater than a build volume of a printer.These preferences may control whether to resize the object, whether tobreak the object into multiple sub-objects for fabrication, and whetherto transmit multiple sub-objects to a single printer or multipleprinters. In addition, user preferences or requirements may be stored,such as multi-color printing capability, build material options andcapabilities, and so forth. More generally, the print queue may bemanaged by a print server 308 according to one or more criteria from aremote user requesting a print job. The print server 308 may also storeuser preferences or criteria for filtering content, e.g., for automaticprinting or other handling. While this is described below as a featurefor autonomous operation of a printer (such as a printer that locallysubscribes to a syndicated model source), any criteria that can be usedto identify models of potential interest by explicit type (e.g., labeledin model metadata), implicit type (e.g., determined based on analysis ofthe model), source, and so forth, may be provided to the print server308 and used to automatically direct new content to one or moreuser-specified ones of the three-dimensional printers 304.

In one aspect, the processor of the print server may be configured tostore a plurality of print jobs submitted to the web server in a log andto provide an analysis of print activity based on the log. This mayinclude any type of analysis that might be useful to participants in theenvironment 300. For example, the analysis may include tracking of thepopularity of particular objects, or of particular content sources. Theanalysis may include tracking of which three-dimensional printers 304are most popular or least popular, or related statistics such as theaverage backlog of pending print jobs at a number of thethree-dimensional printers 304. More generally, any statistics or datamay be obtained, and any analysis may be performed, that might be usefulto users (e.g., when requesting prints), content sources (e.g., whenchoosing new printable objects for publication), providers offabrication resources (e.g., when setting fees), or network facilitatorssuch as the print servers 308.

A print server 308 may also maintain a database 309 of content, alongwith an interface for users at client devices 306 to search the database309 and request fabrication of objects in the database 309 using any ofthe three-dimensional printers 304. Thus in one aspect, a print server308 (or any system including the print server 308) may include adatabase 309 of three-dimensional models, and the print server 308 mayact as a server that provides a search engine for locating a particularthree-dimensional model in the database 309. The search engine may be atext-based search engine using keyword text queries, plain languagequeries, and so forth. The search engine may also or instead include animage-based search engine configured to identify three-dimensionalmodels similar to a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image provideby a user.

In another aspect, the printer server 308 may periodically search forsuitable content at remote locations on the data network, which contentmay be retrieved to the database 309, or have its remote location (e.g.,a URL or other network location identifier) stored in the database 309.In another aspect, the print server 308 may provide an interface forsubmission of objects from remote users, along with any suitablemetadata such as a title, tags, creator information, descriptivenarrative, pictures, recommended printer settings, and so forth. In oneaspect, the database 309 may be manually curated according to anydesired standards. In another aspect, printable objects in the database309 may be manually or automatically annotated according to contenttype, popularity, editorial commentary, and so forth.

The print server 308 may more generally provide a variety of managementfunctions. For example, the print server 304 may store a predeterminedalternative three-dimensional printer to execute a print job from aremote user in the event of a failure by the one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers 304. In another aspect, the print server 308may maintain exclusive control over at least one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers 304, such that other users and/or printservers cannot control the printer. In another aspect, the print server308 may submit a print job to a first available one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers 304.

In another aspect, a print server 308 may provide an interface formanaging subscriptions to sources of content. This may include tools forsearching existing subscriptions, locating or specifying new sources,subscribing to sources of content, and so forth. In one aspect, a printserver 308 may manage subscriptions and automatically direct new contentfrom these subscriptions to a three-dimensional printer 304 according toany user-specified criteria. Thus while it is contemplated that athree-dimensional printer 304 may autonomously subscribe to sources ofcontent through a network interface and receive new content directlyfrom such sources, it is also contemplated that this feature may bemaintained through a remote resource such as a print server 308.

A print server 308 may maintain print queues for participatingthree-dimensional printers 304. This approach may advantageouslyalleviate backlogs at individual printers 304, which may have limitedmemory capacity for pending print jobs. More generally, a print server308 may, by communicating with multiple three-dimensional printers 304,obtain a view of utilization of multiple networked resources thatpermits a more efficient allocation of print jobs than would be possiblethrough simple point-to-point communications among users and printers.Print queues may also be published by a print server 308 so that userscan view pending queues for a variety of different three-dimensionalprinters 304 prior to selecting a resource for a print job. In oneaspect, the print queue may be published as a number of print jobs andsize of print jobs so that a requester can evaluate likely delays. Inanother aspect, the print queue may be published as an estimated timeuntil a newly submitted print job can be initiated.

In one aspect, the print queue of one of the print servers 308 mayinclude one or more print jobs for one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers 304. The print queue may be stored locally atthe one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. In anotheraspect, the print queue may be allocated between the database 309 and alocal memory of the three-dimensional printer 304. In another aspect,the print queue may be stored, for example, in the database 309 of theprint server 308. As used here, the term ‘print queue’ is intended toinclude print data (e.g., the three-dimensional model or toolinstructions to fabricate an object) for a number of print job (whichmay be arranged for presentation in order of expected execution), aswell as any metadata concerning print jobs. Thus, a portion of the printqueue such as the metadata (e.g., size, status, time to completion) maybe usefully communicated to a print server 308 for sharing among userswhile another portion of the print queue such as the model data may bestored at a printer in preparation for execution of a print job.

Print queues may implement various user preferences on prioritization.For example, for a commercial enterprise, longer print jobs may bedeferred for after normal hours of operation (e.g., after 5:00 p.m.),while shorter print jobs may be executed first if they can be completedbefore the end of a business day. In this manner, objects can beidentified and fabricated from within the print queue in a manner thatpermits as many objects as possible to be fabricated before apredetermined closing time. Similarly, commercial providers offabrication services may charge explicitly for prioritized fabrication,and implement this prioritization by prioritizing print queues in acorresponding fashion.

In another aspect, a print server 308 may provide a virtual workspacefor a user. In this virtual workspace, a user may search local or remotedatabases of printable objects, save objects of interest (or linksthereto), manage pending prints, specify preferences for receivingstatus updates (e.g., by electronic mail or SMS text), managesubscriptions to content, search for new subscription sources, and soforth. In one aspect, the virtual workspace may be, or may include,web-based design tools or a web-based design interface that permits auser to create and modify models. In one aspect, the virtual workspacemay be deployed on the web, while permitting direct fabrication of amodel developed within that environment on a user-specified one of thethree-dimensional printers 304, thus enabling a web-based designenvironment that is directly coupled to one or more fabricationresources.

The content sources 310 may include any sources of content forfabrication with a three-dimensional printer 304. This may, for example,include databases of objects accessible through a web interface orapplication programming interface. This may also or instead includeindividual desktop computers or the like configured as a server forhosted access, or configured to operate as a peer in a peer-to-peernetwork. This may also or instead include content subscription services,which may be made available in an unrestricted fashion, or may be madeavailable on a paid subscription basis, or on an authenticated basisbased upon some other relationship (e.g., purchase of a related productor a ticket to an event). It will be readily appreciated that any numberof content providers may serve as content sources 310 as contemplatedherein. By way of non-limiting example, the content sources 310 mayinclude destinations such as amusement parks, museums, theaters,performance venues, or the like, any of which may provide contentrelated to users who purchase tickets. The content sources 310 mayinclude manufacturers such as automobile, computer, consumerelectronics, or home appliance manufacturers, any of which may providecontent related to upgrades, maintenance, repair, or other support ofexisting products that have been purchased. The content sources 310 mayinclude artists or other creative enterprises that sell various works ofinterest. The content sources 310 may include engineering orarchitectural firms that provide marketing or advertising pieces toexisting or prospective customers. The content sources 310 may includemarketing or advertising firms that provide promotional items forclients. More generally, the content sources 310 may be any individualor enterprise that provides single or serial objects for fabrication bythe three-dimensional printers 304 described herein.

One or more web servers 311 may provide web-based access to and from anyof the other participants in the environment 300. While depicted as aseparate network entity, it will be readily appreciated that a webserver 311 may be logically or physically associated with one of theother devices described herein, and may, for example, provide a userinterface for web access to one of the three-dimensional printers 304,one of the print servers 308 (or databases 309 coupled thereto), one ofthe content sources 310, or any of the other resources 316 describedbelow in a manner that permits user interaction through the data network302, e.g., from a client device 306 or mobile device 312.

The mobile devices 312 may be any form of mobile device, such as anywireless, battery-powered device, that might be used to interact withthe networked printing environment 300. The mobile devices 312 may, forexample, include laptop computers, tablets, thin client networkcomputers, portable digital assistants, messaging devices, cellularphones, smart phones, portable media or entertainment devices, and soforth. In general, mobile devices 312 may be operated by users for avariety of user-oriented functions such as to locate printable objects,to submit objects for printing, to monitor a personally owned printer,and/or to monitor a pending print job. A mobile device 312 may includelocation awareness technology such as Global Positioning System (“GPS”),which may obtain information that can be usefully integrated into aprinting operation in a variety of ways. For example, a user may selectan object for printing and submit a model of the object to a printserver, such as any of the print servers described above. The printserver may determine a location of the mobile device 312 initiating theprint job and locate a closest printer for fabrication of the object.

In another aspect, a printing function may be location-based, using theGPS input (or cellular network triangulation, proximity detection, orany other suitable location detection techniques). For example, a usermay be authorized to print a model only when the user is near a location(e.g., within a geo-fenced area or otherwise proximal to a location), oronly after a user has visited a location. Thus a user may be providedwith printable content based upon locations that the user has visited,or while within a certain venue such as an amusement park, museum,theater, sports arena, hotel, or the like.

The other resources 316 may include any other software or hardwareresources that may be usefully employed in networked printingapplications as contemplated herein. For example, the other resources316 may include payment processing servers or platforms used toauthorize payment for content subscriptions, content purchases, orprinting resources. As another example, the other resources 316 mayinclude social networking platforms that may be used, e.g., to sharethree-dimensional models and/or fabrication results according to auser's social graph. In another aspect, the other resources 316 mayinclude certificate servers or other security resources for third partyverification of identity, encryption or decryption of three-dimensionalmodels, and so forth. In another aspect, the other resources 316 mayinclude online tools for three-dimensional design or modeling, as wellas databases of objects, surface textures, build supplies, and so forth.In another aspect, the other resources 316 may include a desktopcomputer or the like co-located (e.g., on the same local area networkwith, or directly coupled to through a serial or USB cable) with one ofthe three-dimensional printers 304. In this case, the other resource 316may provide supplemental functions for the three-dimensional printer 304in a networked printing context such as maintaining a print queue oroperating a web server for remote interaction with the three-dimensionalprinter 304. More generally, any resource that might be usefullyintegrated into a networked printing environment may be one of theresources 316 as contemplated herein.

It will be readily appreciated that the various components of thenetworked printing environment 300 described above may be arranged andconfigured to support networked printing in a variety of ways. Forexample, in one aspect there is disclosed herein a networked computerwith a print server and a web interface to support networkedthree-dimensional printing. This device may include a print server, adatabase, and a web server as discussed above. The print server may becoupled through a data network to a plurality of three-dimensionalprinters and configured to receive status information from one or moresensors for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. Theprint server may be further configured to manage a print queue for eachone of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. The database may becoupled in a communicating relationship with the print server andconfigured to store print queue data and status information for each oneof the plurality of three-dimensional printers. The web server may beconfigured to provide a user interface over the data network to a remoteuser, the user interface adapted to present the status information andthe print queue data for one or more of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers to the user and the user interface adapted toreceive a print job from the remote user for one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers.

The three-dimensional printer 304 described above may be configured toautonomously subscribe to syndicated content sources and periodicallyreceive and print objects from those sources. Thus in one aspect thereis disclosed herein a device including any of the three-dimensionalprinters described above; a network interface; and a processor (whichmay without limitation include the controller for the printer). Theprocessor may be configured to subscribe to a plurality of sources ofcontent (such as the content sources 310 described above) selected by auser for fabrication by the three-dimensional printer through thenetwork interface. The processor may be further configured to receiveone or more three-dimensional models from the plurality of contentsources 310, and to select one of the one or more three-dimensionalmodels for fabrication by the three-dimensional printer 304 according toa user preference for prioritization. The user preference may, forexample, preferentially prioritize particular content sources 310, orparticular types of content (e.g., tools, games, artwork, upgrade parts,or content related to a particular interest of the user).

The memory of a three-dimensional printer 304 may be configured to storea queue of one or more additional three-dimensional models not selectedfor immediate fabrication. The processor may be programmed toperiodically re-order or otherwise alter the queue according topre-determined criteria or manual user input. For example, the processormay be configured to evaluate a new three-dimensional model based upon auser preference for prioritization, and to place the newthree-dimensional model at a corresponding position in the queue. Theprocessor may also or instead be configured to retrieve content from oneof the content sources 310 by providing authorization credentials forthe user, which may be stored at the three-dimensional printer orotherwise accessible for presentation to the content source 310. Theprocessor may be configured to retrieve content from at least one of theplurality of content sources 310 by authorizing a payment from the userto a content provider. The processor may be configured to search asecond group of sources of content (such as any of the content sources310 described above) according to one or more search criteria provide bya user. This may also or instead include demographic information for theuser, contextual information for the user, or any other implicit orexplicit user information.

In another aspect, there is disclosed herein a system for managingsubscriptions to three-dimensional content sources such as any of thecontent sources 310 described above. The system may include a web serverconfigured to provide a user interface over a data network, which userinterface is adapted to receive user preferences from a user including asubscription to a plurality of sources of a plurality ofthree-dimensional models, a prioritization of content from the pluralityof sources, and an identification of one or more fabrication resourcescoupled to the data network and suitable for fabricating objects fromthe plurality of three-dimensional models. The system may also include adatabase to store the user preferences, and to receive and store theplurality of three-dimensional models as they are issued by theplurality of sources. The system may include a processor (e.g., of aprint server 308, or alternatively of a client device 306 interactingwith the print server 308) configured select a selected one of theplurality of three-dimensional models for fabrication based upon theprioritization. The system may include a print server configured tocommunicate with the one or more fabrication resources through the datanetwork, to determine an availability of the one or more fabricationresources, and to transmit the selected one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional models to one of the one or more fabricationresources.

In another aspect, there is disclosed herein a network ofthree-dimensional printing resources comprising: a plurality ofthree-dimensional printers, each one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers including a network interface; a serverconfigured to manage execution of a plurality of print jobs by theplurality of three-dimensional printers; and a data network that couplesthe server and the plurality of three-dimensional printers in acommunicating relationship.

In general as described above, the server may include a web-based userinterface configured for a user to submit a new print job to the serverand to monitor progress of the new print job. The web-based userinterface may permit video monitoring of each one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers, or otherwise provide information useful to aremote user including image-based, simulation-based, textual-based orother information concerning status of a current print. Details of asuitable user interface are discussed in further detail with referenceto FIG. 5.

The fabrication resources may, for example, include any of thethree-dimensional printers 304 described above. One or more of thefabrication resources may be a private fabrication resource secured witha credential-based access system. The user may provide, as a userpreference and prior to use of the private fabrication resource,credentials for accessing the private fabrication resource. In anotheraspect, the one or more fabrication resources may include a commercialfabrication resource. In this case the user may provide an authorizationto pay for use of the commercial fabrication resource in the form of auser preference prior to use of the commercial fabrication resource.

Many current three-dimensional printers require significantmanufacturing time to fabricate an object. At the same time, certainprinters may include a tool or system to enable multiple, sequentialobject prints without human supervision or intervention, such as theconveyor belt described above. In this context, prioritizing content maybe particularly important to prevent crowding out of limited fabricationresources with low priority content that arrives periodically forautonomous fabrication. As a significant advantage, the systems andmethods described herein permit prioritization using a variety ofuser-specified criteria, and permit use of multiple fabricationresources in appropriate circumstances. Thus prioritizing content ascontemplated herein may include any useful form of prioritization. Forexample, this may include prioritizing the content according to source.The content sources 310 may have an explicit type that specifies thenature of the source (e.g., commercial or paid content, promotionalcontent, product support content, non-commercial) or the type of contentprovided (e.g., automotive, consumer electronics, radio controlhobbyist, contest prizes, and so forth). Prioritizing content mayinclude prioritizing the content according to this type. Thethree-dimensional models themselves may also or instead include a type(e.g., tool, game, home, art, jewelry, replacement part, upgrade part,etc.), and prioritizing the content may includes prioritizing thecontent according to this type.

In one aspect, the processor may be configured to select two or more ofthe plurality of three-dimensional models for concurrent fabrication bytwo or more of the plurality of fabrication resources based upon theprioritization when a priority of the two or more of the plurality ofthree-dimensional models exceeds a predetermined threshold. That is,where particular models individually have a priority above thepredetermined threshold, multiple fabrication resources may be locatedand employed to fabricate these models concurrently. The predeterminedthreshold may be evaluated for each model individually, or for all ofthe models collectively such as on an aggregate or average basis.

In one aspect, the processor may be configured to adjust prioritizationbased upon a history of fabrication when a number of objects fabricatedfrom one of the plurality of sources exceeds a predetermined threshold.Thus, for example, a user may limit the number of objects fabricatedfrom a particular source, giving subsequent priority to content fromother sources regardless of an objectively determined priority for a newobject from the particular source. This prevents a single source fromoverwhelming a single fabrication resource, such as a personalthree-dimensional printer operated by the user, in a manner that crowdsout other content from other sources of possible interest. At the sametime, this may enable content sources 310 to publish on any convenientschedule, without regard to whether and how subscribers will be able tofabricate objects.

In another aspect, the processor may be configured to identify one ormore additional sources of content based upon a similarity to one of theplurality of sources of content. For example, where a content source 310is an automotive manufacturer, the processor may perform a search forother automotive manufactures, related parts suppliers, mechanics, andso forth. The processor may also or instead be configured to identifyone or more additional sources of content based upon a social graph ofthe user. This may, for example, include analyzing a social graph ofrelationships from the user to identify groups with common interests,shared professions, a shared history of schools or places of employment,or a common current or previous residence location, any of which may beused to locate other sources of content that may be of interest to theuser.

FIG. 4 depicts a method for operating a three-dimensional printer, suchas any of the three-dimensional printers described above, when coupledto a data network. As contemplated above, the three-dimensional printermay include a network interface for coupling to the data network, aswell as any number of sensors that provide status information forvarious aspects of the three-dimensional printer, which statusinformation may be communicated over the data network to a remote useror other automated or manual resource in order to monitor submission,progress, and completion of a print job. In general, the printer mayoperate as an autonomous network device coupled directly to the Internetthrough a cable mode, router, hub, or the like. In another aspect, theprinter may use a computer or other computing resource coupled to theprinter through a local area network or the like for steps requiringintensive computation (e.g., converting from a stereolithography orother computer automated design format into tool instructions),substantial storage (e.g., print queue management), or other hardware(e.g., cameras, environmental sensors, and so forth).

As shown in step 402, the method 400 may begin with receiving a printjob over the data network, which may include any of the data networksdescribed above. The print job may be received from a requester, whichmay for example include a remote device (or user of the remote device)such as a laptop or other computer. The requester may be coupled in acommunicating relationship to the three-dimensional printer through thedata network in a host-client relationship, a peer-to-peer relationship,a mutually hosted relationship (e.g., with both devices hosted by athird networked device) or any other relationship capable of supportingcommunications and data transfer between the requester and thethree-dimensional printer. In another aspect, a user may communicateindirectly with the three-dimensional printer, such as by interactingover the data network with a print server, subscription content source,or any other resource or service that facilitates managed access to thethree-dimensional printer over the data network, and acts as therequester to submit the print job.

As shown in step 404, the method 400 may include evaluating anavailability of the three-dimensional printer for the print job. Thismay be based upon a signal from any of the sensors associated with thethree-dimensional printer. It will be understood that this evaluationmay be performed locally at the three-dimensional printer, with anavailability indicator transmitted back to the requester, or thisevaluation may be performed remotely by a device that receives sensordata in raw or processed form from the sensor(s) of thethree-dimensional printer.

A wide variety of evaluations may be performed. For example, theevaluation may relate to the status of a current job executing on thethree-dimensional printer, or an analysis of one or more other jobs in alocal queue of the three-dimensional printer, any of which might resultin the three-dimensional printer being unavailable. For example, wherethe printer has a substantial number of queued jobs that will requireseveral hours to fabricate, or that uses all available local memory ofthe printer, then the printer may be identified as unavailable foradditional print jobs. As another example, the evaluation may be basedupon other sensors such as thermostats, motion or position errordetectors, or optical sensors, any of which might permit inferencesconcerning the ability of the three-dimensional printer to execute aprint job. For example, if an optical sensor detects an object within aworking volume of the three-dimensional printer, or if a thermal sensordetects that a print head is not at a suitable temperature (or is notresponding correctly to a heating command), the printer may not be readyand a corresponding evaluation may be provided. As another example, asensor may detect a quantity of build material available to the printer,and a processor on the printer may determine if the supply is inadequatefor the requested print job. Thus evaluating the availability of thethree-dimensional printer may include accepting the print job only if asupply of build material available for the three-dimensional printerexceeds an amount of build material required for the print job and oneor more additional jobs ahead of the requested print job in the queue.

Similarly, any of a variety of status checks for normal, error-freefunctioning of the three-dimensional printer may be undertaken prior toaccepting (or transmitting from a requester) a new print job. Moregenerally, a variety of sensors and other inputs (including, e.g., datathat may be stored locally in a memory of the three-dimensional printer)may provide useful information for assessing the availability of thedevice, and may be used as the sensor(s) contemplated herein to evaluateavailability of the three-dimensional printer for a print job.

In one aspect, the evaluation may be based on a receiving state of thethree-dimensional printer. The receiving state may be inferred based onvarious sensor signals and/or data indicative of whether thethree-dimensional printer is currently engaged in a print. In anotheraspect, the receiving state may be explicitly provided by an owner oradministrator of the three-dimensional printer, thus providing anopportunity for the administrator to control what level of access to theprinting resource will be provided to external users who might connectto the printer over the data network. Thus the receiving state may beselected from a group including, e.g., open, closed, or authenticated.In general, the open receiving state may permit access to any remoteuser, while the closed receiving state does not permit access to anyremote users (such as where the owner wishes to connect to the datanetwork to retrieve remote content, but does not wish to make thethree-dimensional printer publicly available). The authenticatedreceiving state may permit remote access conditioned upon receipt ofappropriate credentials. Thus in one aspect, availability may be basedupon an identity of a user—the requester—associated with the print job.In this case, evaluating availability of the three-dimensional printermay include assessing an identity of the user, which may be determined,e.g., using access credentials such as a user name and password, adigital certificate, or any other techniques for securely identifyingthe user, either locally or with reference to a trusted externalresource such as a certificate server or the like.

In another aspect, the print job itself may be secured for communicationto the three-dimensional printer using, e.g., encryption of print ormodel data. The printer may in turn conditionally authorize printingaccording to any related access credentials. Thus in one aspect themethod may include securing the print job using a digital rightsmanagement technique that restricts execution of the print job to one ormore predetermined three-dimensional printers or to a printer havingsuitable credentials. In this context, evaluating the availability ofthe three-dimensional printer may include determining whether thethree-dimensional printer is one of the one or more predeterminedthree-dimensional printers, or whether the three-dimensional printer hasappropriate credentials. This technique may be particularly useful, forexample, where the print job includes purchased content or the like forwhich the content creator (or distributor) wishes to retain control offabrication, e.g., by limiting who, where, when, or how many times theprint job can be fabricated.

The evaluation may also or instead be based on a variety of sensormeasurements and/or other data or information about the processingstatus of the three-dimensional printer. By way of example and not oflimitation, evaluating the availability of the three-dimensional printermay include determining a percentage completion of a current print jobat the three-dimensional printer. Evaluating the availability of thethree-dimensional printer may include estimating a wait time until thethree-dimensional printer will be available and transmitting the waittime to the requester. Evaluating the availability of thethree-dimensional printer may include determining whether thethree-dimensional printer is immediately available.

It will also be appreciated that a wide variety of sensors may usefullybe employed in this evaluation. By way of non-limiting example, theplurality of sensors may include a video camera directed toward aworking volume of the three-dimensional printer. The plurality ofsensors may include an optical sensor that detects obstructions within aworking volume of the three-dimensional printer. The plurality ofsensors may include a sensor that detects a quantity of build materialavailable. The plurality of sensors may include a sensor that detects apresence of build material in a material supply feed.

As shown in step 406, when the three-dimensional printer is notavailable for a print job, the method 400 may include electronicallynotifying the requester that the print job has been rejected. This may,for example, include a notification such as a textual message or graphicdisplayed within a user interface used by the requester to submit theprint job, or this may include a notification using any suitablecommunication medium such as an SMS text message or electronic mailcommunication to the requester.

When the three-dimensional printer is not available for the print job,additional processing may be performed prior to notifying the requester,such as a search for additional, suitable printing resources and/orredirection of the print job. Thus in one aspect, the method may includeidentifying one or more alternative three-dimensional printers coupledto the data network as resources available for the print job when thethree-dimensional printer is not available. In another aspect, when thethree-dimensional printer is not available, the method may includeidentifying an alternative three-dimensional printer coupled to the datanetwork and redirecting the requester to the alternativethree-dimensional printer. The redirecting may include automaticallyredirecting the print job without user intervention, or the redirectingmay include transmitting a suggestion to the requester to use thealternative three-dimensional printer. More generally, any suitableinformation about other available resources and/or redirection of therequest may be transmitted to the requester when the three-dimensionalprinter that received the print job is determined to be unavailable.This may also include information about an expected wait time until theprinter will be available, when such information is provided by theprinter or can be reasonably inferred from other information.

As shown in step 407, a manual verification may be optionally requested,even where the three-dimensional printer is otherwise determined to beavailable, before adding the print job to the print queue. The requestfor manual verification by the requester may be provided, for example,along with contextual information such as an expected time before theprint job can begin fabrication, or a current image of thethree-dimensional printer (e.g., of the working volume or supply ofbuild material). Thus in one aspect, evaluating the availability of thethree-dimensional printer may include transmitting an image of thethree-dimensional printer to the requester, and receiving a manualconfirmation to proceed with the print job from the requester.

As shown in step 408, when the three-dimensional printer is available,the method 400 may include adding the print job to a queue for thethree-dimensional printer and initiating fabrication of an objectaccording to the queue. It will be understood that the three-dimensionalprinter may only have storage for a current print job, in which case theprint queue, or more specifically, the local print queue, may consist ofa currently active print job containing zero or one print jobs at alltimes. In another aspect, the three-dimensional printer may haveadequate storage and processing capabilities to locally manage asubstantial queue of print jobs, or alternatively, may be coupled to alocal resource such as a co-located desktop or laptop computer ornetworked-attached storage that can operate as a local print queueresource for the three-dimensional printer. When the print job isaccepted, a notification may be sent to the requester using, e.g., anyof the notification techniques described above.

It will be appreciated that certain print jobs may include multiple,separate physical objects. These objects may be generally unrelated,e.g., where a requester simply decides to build multiple objects at onetime, or these objects may be related. Related objects may includestructurally related objects, such as where an object larger than abuild volume is constructed from several smaller pieces, where theobject has several independent moving parts. Related objects may also orinstead be contextually related, as with a collection of game piecessuch as pieces for a chess board. When a request includes multipleobjects, adding these objects to the print queue may include additionalprocessing to allocate the objects among a number of suitablefabrication resources. Thus in one aspect where the print job includes aplurality of objects, the method may include identifying a plurality ofprinters in proximity to the three-dimensional printer and allocatingthe plurality of objects for concurrent fabrication among the pluralityof printers. This allocation may be managed by the three-dimensionalprinter that received the request (e.g., by having the printer act as arequester for several other proximate resources), or this allocation maybe managed by a remote print server that identifies and coordinatesoperation of a number of physically proximate or otherwise suitableresources.

As shown in step 410, the method 400 may include providing informationabout a queue for the three-dimensional printer to the requester. Thismay include transmitting a print queue status to the requester fordisplay in a user interface or within the body of an electronic mailmessage or text message, or more generally using any suitablecommunication medium. Although depicted in FIG. 4 as occurring after aprint job is added to the print queue, it will be understood that theprint queue status may be usefully shared with the requester at any timebefore or during processing of the print job, and/or periodically whilethe print job is pending or executing.

As shown in step 412, the method 400 may include completing fabrication,after which the requester may be notified and the object retrieved usingany suitable online and/or offline techniques.

Print queue status information as contemplated above may also includeinformation relating to operation of the three-dimensional printer. Forexample, the method may include transmitting status information from oneor more of the plurality of sensors to the requester during an executionof the print job. The method may include notifying the requester of asuccessful completion of the print job, or the method may includenotifying the requester if the print job fails to complete. In thiscommunication of status information, the three-dimensional printer mayalso request further user input, such as by inquiring whether to tryprinting the object again, or whether to forward an unsuccessful printjob to another resource. In one aspect, the status information mayinclude at least one photograph captured, e.g., from a video camera ordigital still camera associated with the printer, which may betransmitted directly to the requester, or to some other location such asa social networking platform. In one aspect, the social networkingplatform may include one or more of Flickr, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+,and Facebook, or any other website or the like where the requester canshare the at least one photograph with others using tools availablewithin the social networking platform.

It will be readily appreciated that the above steps are provided by wayof example and not limitation, and that numerous variations are possibleincluding additions, omissions, and or variations of the steps recitedabove. All such variations as would be appreciated by one of ordinaryskill in the art are intended to fall within the scope of thisdisclosure. In particular, the various step described above may beperformed by a networked printer that directly hosts a connection with aremote user, or by a print server or the like that mediates print jobadministration between users and fabrication resources. Thus the varioussteps may be performed in a distributed manner among two or more of auser, by a print server, and/or by a three-dimensional printer dependingupon the specific network of devices performing the method. By way ofexample, a three-dimensional model may be transmitted directly from athree-dimensional scanner to a three-dimensional printer forfabrication. The scanner and the printer may be locally coupled to oneanother, or remotely coupled through a print server or the like, orconnected through a network using a peer-to-peer or similarrelationship.

It will also be understood that this disclosure includes apparatus forperforming the methods described above. Thus in one aspect there isdisclosed a three-dimensional printer including a network interfaceconfigured to receive a print job from a requester over a data network,a plurality of sensors that provide status information for a pluralityof aspects of the three-dimensional printer; and a processor configuredto evaluate an availability of the three-dimensional printer for theprint job based upon a signal from at least one of the plurality ofsensors. The processor may include any suitable processing circuitrysuch as any controller, microcontroller, microprocessor and/or othercircuitry used to control the three-dimensional printer, and/or anysimilar processing circuitry in a co-located computer or the like. Whereprocessing is distributed, e.g., among multiple printers, a printserver, a requester device, and so forth, the various steps may bedistributed in any suitable fashion consistent with networked printingas contemplated herein.

In another aspect, the method steps may be embodied in computerexecutable code stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium suchas a computer memory. Thus there is disclosed herein a computer programproduct embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, whenexecuting on one or more computing devices, performs any of the stepsdescribed above. In one aspect, this may include the steps of: receivinga print job from a requester over a data network at a three-dimensionalprinter, the three-dimensional printer including a plurality of sensorsthat provide status information for a plurality of aspects of thethree-dimensional printer; and evaluating an availability of thethree-dimensional printer for the print job based upon a signal from atleast one of the plurality of sensors.

FIG. 5 depicts a user interface for networked three-dimensionalprinting. The user interface 500 may be a web page or other remotelycreated and executed interface supported, e.g., by one of the printservers or web servers described above. In another embodiment, the userinterface 500 may be served by one of the three-dimensional printersdescribed above, which may execute a web server for remote access toadministrative or fabrication functions of the three-dimensionalprinter. In another embodiment, the user interface 500 may be created bya local application that retrieves data, images, print queueinformation, models, and so forth from a variety of remote applicationsand other resources, while also formatting outbound commands from theclient device to the various resources so that the remote resources canbe integrated within a single workspace on a client device. The userinterface 500 may in general be rendered on a display or similarhardware on a client device or mobile device, and may permit userinteraction through any suitable controls to permit local control andadministration of remote fabrication resources. In general, the userinterface 500 may be an interface for management of a variety of remotefabrication resources as generally described above.

For example, the user interface 500 may include a first display area 502that shows a list of available online three-dimensional printers orother fabrication resources. This display area may be interactive, andmay permit, e.g., sorting of fabrication resources, searching for newfabrication resources, and the like. The first display area 502 may alsoor instead provide status information for each listed fabricationresource, such as information about availability, recent print activity,a current queue of objects for printing at that resource, and so forth.In one aspect where the user interface 500 is a web page for remoteusers to manage fabrication, the first display area 502 may be adaptedto receive a manual selection of one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers from the remote user to execute a print job.

The user interface 500 may also or instead include a second display area504 that shows a list of available models for fabrication by thefabrication resources. This may include any of a variety of interactivefeatures such as search capabilities for models, and links toinformation about models such as cost, user reviews, complexity andprint time, model renderings, descriptions, notes from a contentprovider, and so forth. This may also include an interface tool topermit a user to fabricate a model. The second display area 504 may beadapted to receive a batch print job from a remote user, the batch printjob including a plurality of related print jobs. For example, a user mayselect an object displayed in the second display area 504 that includesmultiple parts, or the user may select multiple items listed in thesecond display area 504 (using, e.g., a conventional control key andmouse click, or any other suitable user interface controls/techniques)for batch processing. This may also permit the remote user to provideadditional, related information, such as a permissible allocation of theplurality of related print jobs among the plurality of three-dimensionalprinters, which permissible allocation may include general preferences(e.g., high-speed printers or local printers), specific preferences(e.g., use printer xyz), or firm requirements (e.g., use only printerxyz, or only printers selected from a specific group).

The user interface 500 may also or instead include a third display area506 that shows a print queue. This may include a local print queue for aspecific fabrication resource, or this may include a print queue storedat a print server for a user, along with information about where andwhen each object is scheduled for fabrication. The user interface 500may permit one-click drag-and-drop print queue management ofthree-dimensional printing jobs. For example, a user may simply drag anobject from the second display area 504 (objects) into the third displayarea 506 (print queue) where the object may be automatically or manuallyprioritized for execution. Alternatively, the user may drag an objectfrom the second display area 504 into the first display area 502(printers) to request (with a single operation) fabrication of theobject by a specific printer. More generally, the user interface 500 mayfacilitate control over fabrication of models from a variety of contentsources using a variety of fabrication resources, some or all of whichmay be remote from a current user manipulating the user interface 500.

The user interface 500 may include a fourth display area 508 thatdisplays information for a currently active print job. This area mayusefully include any information related to the print job such asstatus, time to completion, source, current time, etc. Additionally,this area may include a control or group of controls for manualoperation of the three-dimensional printer by a remote user. Thus forexample a user may remotely stop fabrication, restart fabrication,cancel fabrication, change fabrication settings, perform a testextrusion, and so forth, as though the user were locally controlling theprinter.

The fourth display area 506 may include a visualization area 510 thatdisplays a visual representation of the print job. For example, thevisualization area 510 may display a current tool path of the printerthat is executing the print job, such as a two-dimensional layer of theobject showing a path of a print head as it traverses that layer. Thevisualization area 510 may also or instead show a simulated printobject, such as a rendering of a three-dimensional model depicting acurrent state of the completion of an object being fabricated accordingto a print job. The visualization area 510 may also or instead show animage of a working volume of a three-dimensional printer or otherfabrication resource captured during execution of the print job. Thismay, for example, include a digital still image (which may be updatedperiodically) or a video image captured from a video camera at thethree-dimensional printer. Thus a user may visually monitor progress orstatus of a remote print job through the user interface 500. A statusarea 512 may also be provided that shows current status information(e.g., percentage completion, time until start, time until completion,and so forth) for the active resource.

The user interface 500 may also include a menu bar 516 or the like forother functions not otherwise accounted for within the other activeareas. This may include file information, search tools, help menus, useror account information, and so forth. This may include controls to shareinformation about print activity. For example, the user interface mayinclude at least one control to capture a frame of data from the videocamera as a video image and to transmit the video image to a remotelocation through the data network. The remote location may, for example,be a social networking site such as any of the social network platformsdescribed above. In another aspect, the device may be configured totransmit the video image in an electronic mail communication to, e.g.,the user or one or more recipients identified by the user. In anotheraspect, the user interface may include a control to capture astop-motion animation of a fabrication of an object using the videocamera. This may include user controls for a frame rate, duration, orother parameters of the stop-motion animation so that an animation ofdesired length and detail can be created for sharing or other use.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for operating a three-dimensionalprinter on a network. In particular, the method 600 of FIG. 6 emphasizesautonomous operation of the three-dimensional printer using contentavailable through the data network.

The method 600 may begin with coupling a three-dimensional printer to adata network, as shown in step 602.

As shown in step 604, the method 600 may include locating one or moresources of content for fabrication by the three-dimensional printer onthe data network according to one or more user-provided criteria. Thesources of content may, for example, include any of the content sourcesdescribed above, which may provide content on a syndicated basis usingany suitable protocol (such as RSS or the like) so that thethree-dimensional printer can identify new content from the contentsources as the new content becomes available.

As shown in step 606, the method 600 may include subscribing to newcontent from the one or more sources of content.

As shown in step 608, the method may include receiving at least onethree-dimensional model of new content from one of the one or moresources of content. This may occur in a variety of ways. For example,where the three-dimensional printer has subscribed to an RSS feedprovided by the content source, a new item in the RSS feed (or mediaenclosure or similar content embedded in the feed) may provide a URL orthe like that identifies a network location for a three-dimensionalmodel, along with any metadata that the three-dimensional printer mightuse (or present to a user for evaluation) to determine whether toretrieve the three-dimensional model. It will be understood that whileRSS (“RDF Site Summary,” a.k.a., “Really Simple Syndication”) providesone useful platform for syndicating content including three-dimensionalmodels, any suitable technology or combination of technologies may alsoor instead be employed, including ‘push’ technologies that forwardnotifications to clients and/or ‘pull’ technologies that explicitlyrequest updates on any suitable regular or ad hoc basis.

It will be understood that fabrication of a single model using certaintechniques may take a substantial amount of time, regardless of the rateat which individual models or groups of models are published fromdifferent sources. As such, a method as contemplated herein mayadvantageously apply local prioritization to ensure that more desirablecontent is not crowded out of limited fabrication resources by lessdesirable content. Receiving content as shown in step 608 may alsoinclude receiving a plurality of three-dimensional models andprioritizing fabrication of the plurality of three-dimensional modelsinto an order of fabrication.

As shown in step 610, the method may include fabricating an object fromthe at least one three-dimensional model. As noted above, this mayinclude fabricating a plurality of three-dimensional models in an orderdetermined by a local prioritization scheme. Additional features may beusefully provided. For example, the model may be locally analyzed by aprinter and automatically scaled according to the printer's buildvolume, or the model may alternatively be divided into multiple,separate objects, each fitting within the build volume, and all capableof being assembled into the original object. This approach may beparticularly advantageous where a printer is autonomously receiving andfabricating multiple objects in succession without user supervision.

Thus, in one aspect there is disclosed a three-dimensional printerconfigured for autonomous operation to retrieve and fabricate contentpublished to a network. While the method 600 described above isgenerally local in nature, it will be appreciated that other collocatedresources may be used, such as a desktop computer or the like coupled toa three-dimensional printer, which desktop computer may subscribe tocontent, prioritize new content, and then direct the content to thelocal three-dimensional printer. In another aspect, the various stepsmay be performed by a print server or the like which couples remotecontent sources to remote three-dimensional printers according to anyuser criteria. More generally, a variety of additions, omissions,rearrangements and modifications to the steps described above may beemployed without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for operating a three-dimensionalprinter with a video camera and a network interface. In particular, themethod 700 of FIG. 7 emphasizes incorporation of data from the videocamera into operation and management of the three-dimensional printer.

As shown in step 702, the method 700 may begin with providing athree-dimensional printer including a build volume, a network interfacecoupled to a data network, and a video camera positioned to capturevideo of the build volume from a point of view, such as from above or infront a side of the build volume. This may, for example, include any ofthe three-dimensional printers described above.

As shown in step 704, the method 700 may include receiving athree-dimensional model through the network interface using, e.g., anyof the techniques for locating and retrieving models as described above.By way of example, this may include direct access to a content source,syndicated access to a feed of content, and/or use of a print server orother remote print management tool.

As shown in step 706, the method 700 may include fabricating thethree-dimensional model as an object within the build volume of thethree-dimensional printer, all as generally contemplated above.

As shown in step 708, the method 700 may include providing a userinterface to a remote user accessing the device through the networkinterface, wherein the user interface presents an image of the buildvolume from the camera and a two-dimensional projection of thethree-dimensional model from the point of view of the video camera. Thismay be any of the user interfaces described above, or any other suitableinterface for conveying visual information such as a video image and/ormodel projection. It will be understood that a variety of user interfacetechnologies and techniques are well known in the art, any of which maybe suitably adapted to providing the user interface as contemplatedherein. The two-dimensional projection may be any suitable rendering,simulation, or other visualization of the model and its current state ofcompletion. Thus for example the two-dimensional projection may beobtained from a three-dimensional scanner or other data acquisitiondevice coupled to a processor of the three-dimensional printer. Thetwo-dimensional projection may be an image of the object as simulatedbased upon operation of the three-dimensional printer, using, e.g., atool path history or a current state of completion. The two-dimensionalprojection may be dynamically updated to correspond to a state ofphysical completion of the object in order to provide real time, orquasi-real time visual status information. In one aspect, thetwo-dimensional projection may simply be a video image from the videocamera.

As shown in step 710, the method 700 may include transmitting statusinformation over the data network upon completion of the object. Thismay, for example, include data presented through the user interface, orany other status information or summary thereof. For example, the statusinformation may include a digital image from the video camera, which maybe transmitted with an electronic mail communication confirmingcompletion of the object. More generally, status information may includeany of the status information described above, and may be transmitted toa user through an electronic mail communication, instant messaging textmessage, or any other suitable communication medium.

It will be readily appreciated that a device such as a three-dimensionalprinter may be configured to perform the steps described above. Thus inone aspect there is disclosed herein a device including: athree-dimensional printer having a build volume; a network interfacecoupled to a data network; a video camera positioned to capture video ofthe build volume from a point of view; and a processor configured toreceive a three-dimensional model through the network interface, and tocontrol operation of the three-dimensional printer to fabricate thethree-dimensional model as an object within the build volume of thethree-dimensional printer, the processor further configured to provide auser interface to a remote user accessing the device through the networkinterface, and to present in the user interface an image of the buildvolume from the camera and a two-dimensional projection of thethree-dimensional model from the point of view of the video camera.

The processor may be configured to monitor operation of thethree-dimensional printer based upon a comparison of the two-dimensionalprojection with the image of the build volume. Using this type of imageanalysis, it may be possible to track actual progress against predictedprogress to identify equipment malfunctions or other interference thatmight cause the physical object to deviate from the model used tofabricate the physical object. For example, a temperature change in anextruder, an air bubble in a path of melted supply material, or a toolmisstep might cause an unrecoverable error in a fabrication process. Bycomparing actual to expected two-dimensional or three-dimensionalresults, a fabrication process can be expeditiously aborted andrestarted or otherwise addressed without waiting for completion andphysical inspection of the constructed object. In addition, more subtlefabrication errors such as misalignment of layers, surface holes,inaccurate material build-ups or deposits, rotational distortion, and soforth may also be detected and address prior to completion of a build.More generally, a variety of machine vision functions may be implementedlocally, or with cooperation between a local printer and a remote printserver, using a video camera or digital still camera as a source ofvisual input.

As generally described above, the three-dimensional printer may beconfigured with a variety of tools and functions to facilitate networkeduse. For example, the processor may be configured to providecredential-based access to a user interface of the three-dimensionalprinter. As another example, the user interface may provide statusinformation for the three-dimensional printer. This may include statusinformation for a build process executing on the three-dimensionalprinter currently, or an anticipated build. The user interface mayusefully display a two-dimensional tool path for the three-dimensionalprinter, the two-dimensional tool path corresponding to a current layerof the object during a fabrication of the object by thethree-dimensional printer, or any other useful two-dimensionalinformation. In one aspect, the processor may be configured to couplethe three-dimensional printer in a communicating relationship with aremote print server through the data network, such as to facilitatenetworked use or management of the three-dimensional printer through theremote print server.

The three-dimensional printer may also be configured for a variety ofdiagnostic and technical support functions. For example, the userinterface may support remote access for technical support during localoperation of the three-dimensional printer. Thus for example, technicalsupport personnel may connect to the three-dimensional printer andemploy the user interface to configure, troubleshoot, reprogram orupdate the three-dimensional printer from a remote location. The processmay be programmed for supporting functions. For example, the processormay be configured to fabricate a test object, capture an image of thetest object, and compare the image to the test object to validateoperation of the three-dimensional printer.

Many of the above systems, devices, methods, processes, and the like maybe realized in hardware, software, or any combination of these suitablefor the control, data acquisition, and data processing described herein.This includes realization in one or more microprocessors,microcontrollers, embedded microcontrollers, programmable digital signalprocessors or other programmable devices or processing circuitry, alongwith internal and/or external memory, any of which may serve as thecontroller described above or supplement processing of the controllerwith additional circuitry. This may also, or instead, include one ormore application specific integrated circuits, programmable gate arrays,programmable array logic components, or any other device(s) that may beconfigured to process electronic signals. It will further be appreciatedthat a realization of the processes or devices described above mayinclude computer-executable code created using a structured programminglanguage such as C, an object oriented programming language such as C++,or any other high-level or low-level programming language (includingassembly languages, hardware description languages, and databaseprogramming languages and technologies) that may be stored, compiled orinterpreted to run on one of the above devices, as well as heterogeneouscombinations of processors, processor architectures, or combinations ofdifferent hardware and software. At the same time, processing may bedistributed across devices such as the various systems described above,or all of the functionality may be integrated into a dedicated,standalone device. All such permutations and combinations are intendedto fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

In other embodiments, disclosed herein are computer program productscomprising computer-executable code or computer-usable code that, whenexecuting on one or more computing devices (such as the devices/systemsdescribed above), performs any and/or all of the steps described above.The code may be stored in a computer memory, which may be a memory fromwhich the program executes (such as random access memory associated witha processor), or a storage device such as a disk drive, flash memory orany other optical, electromagnetic, magnetic, infrared or other deviceor combination of devices. In another aspect, any of the processesdescribed above may be embodied in any suitable transmission orpropagation medium carrying the computer-executable code described aboveand/or any inputs or outputs from same.

It will be appreciated that the methods and systems described above areset forth by way of example and not of limitation. Numerous variations,additions, omissions, and other modifications will be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art. Thus, the order or presentation of methodsteps in the description and drawings above is not intended to requirethis order of performing the recited steps unless a particular order isexpressly required or otherwise clear from the context.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatvarious changes and modifications in form and details may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the following claims. The claims that follow are intended toinclude all such variations and modifications that might fall withintheir scope, and should be interpreted in the broadest sense allowableby law.

1. A device comprising: a print server coupled through a data network toa plurality of three-dimensional printers, the print server configuredto receive status information from one or more sensors for each one ofthe plurality of three-dimensional printers and the print serverconfigured to manage a print queue for each one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers; a database coupled in a communicatingrelationship with the print server and configured to store print queuedata and status information for each one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers; and a web server configured to provide auser interface over the data network to a remote user, the userinterface adapted to present the status information and the print queuedata for one or more of the plurality of three-dimensional printers tothe user and the user interface adapted to receive a print job from theremote user for one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. 2.The device of claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to storea plurality of print jobs submitted to the web server in a log and toprovide an analysis of print activity based on the log.
 3. The device ofclaim 1 wherein the print queue is managed according to one or morecriteria from the remote user for the print job.
 4. The device of claim1 wherein the one or more sensors include at least one video camera, theuser interface adapted to present a video feed from the at least onevideo camera to the remote user through the user interface.
 5. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors include one or more ofa heat sensor, a volume flow rate sensor, a sound sensor, a lightsensor, and a weight sensor.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein the printqueue includes one or more print jobs for one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers and the print queue is stored in thedatabase.
 7. The device of claim 1 wherein the print queue includes oneor more print jobs for one of the plurality of three-dimensionalprinters and the print queue is stored locally at the one of theplurality of three-dimensional printers.
 8. The device of claim 1wherein the print queue includes a plurality of print jobs for one ofthe plurality of three-dimensional printers and the print queue isallocated between the database and a local memory of the one of theplurality of three-dimensional printers.
 9. The device of claim 1wherein the print server stores a predetermined alternativethree-dimensional printer to execute the print job from the remote userin the event of a failure by the one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers.
 10. The device of claim 1 wherein the printserver maintains exclusive control over at least one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers.
 11. The device of claim 1 wherein the printserver submits the print job to a first available one of the pluralityof three-dimensional printers.
 12. The device of claim 1 wherein theuser interface is adapted to receive a manual selection of one of theplurality of three-dimensional printers from the remote user to executethe print job.
 13. The device of claim 1 wherein the user interface isadapted to receive a batch print job from the remote user, the batchprint job including a plurality of related print jobs.
 14. The device ofclaim 13 wherein the user interface is further adapted to receive aspecification of permissible allocations of the plurality of relatedprint jobs among the plurality of three-dimensional printers.
 15. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein the user interface is adapted to display acurrent tool path of one of the plurality of three-dimensional printersthat executes the print job.
 16. The device of claim 1 wherein the userinterface is adapted to display a three-dimensional model depicting acurrent state of completion of an object fabricated according to theprint job.
 17. The device of claim 1 wherein the status informationpresented in the user interface includes an image of a working volume ofone of the three-dimensional printers that is executing the print job.18. The device of claim 1 wherein the status information presented inthe user interface includes a video image of a working volume of one ofthe three-dimensional printers that is executing the print job.
 19. Asystem comprising: a plurality of three-dimensional printers, each oneof the plurality of three-dimensional printers including a networkinterface; a server configured to manage execution of a plurality ofprint jobs by the plurality of three-dimensional printers; and a datanetwork that couples the server and the plurality of three-dimensionalprinters in a communicating relationship.
 20. The system of claim 19,the server further comprising a web-based user interface configured fora user to submit a new print job to the server and to monitor progressof the new print job.
 21. The system of claim 20 wherein the web-baseduser interface permits video monitoring of each one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers.
 22. The system of claim 20 furthercomprising a database of three-dimensional models, wherein the serverprovides a search engine for locating a particular three-dimensionalmodel in the database of three-dimensional models.
 23. The system ofclaim 22 wherein the search engine is a text-based search engine. 24.The system of claim 22 wherein the search engine is an image-basedsearch engine.